Royal
rumble at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea, Man U in decisive clash
By COSMAS OMEGOH
Saturday,
April 26, 2008
 |
| Photo:
Sun News Publishing |
| |
Chelsea and Manchester United are at each other’s throat
at Stamford Bridge looking for vital points to lift the season’s
trophy. It promises to be a thriller!
With three more games before the curtain finally falls on
the season, this is one tie that is every inch titanic as
the winner would only be a touching distance from the trophy.
Defending champions and league leaders, Manchester United
have 81 points. Chelsea, second on the table, are hot on their
heels, trailing with three points. If United win, they would
open a six-point lead. Then they will return to Old Trafford
and prepare to bury West Ham next weekend.
If Chelsea win, they would be at par with United, then the
head-to-head or the goals difference rules would decide who
go on top.
This afternoon’s encounter is one not even the ablest
soothsayer can predict rightly where the pendulum will swing
next. Both sides are looking equally matched, and are prepared
to stake their lives to claim victory.
United appear to be playing at full strength at the moment.
Since they got humbled 1-0 by Portsmouth on March 8 in the
quarter final of FA Cup they have not dropped a match. They
are enjoying a 10 game unbeaten run. Seven of those games
ended in victory for the Red Devils. Last Wednesday night,
they played out a scoreless draw at Barcelona in the semi-final
first leg game of the UEFA Champions League. That was a game
they could have taken but for Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty
loss. They kept their title hunt on course last weekend with
a 1-1 draw at Blackburn, thanks to Carlose Tevez’s late
minute equalizer.
This afternoon, old fox, Sir Alex Ferguson looks up to his
wonder boy Ronaldo. The lad is unarguably the best performing
player around the world at the moment. He may be the one to
bury Chelsea. His partnership with Tevez and Wayne Rooney
will be an intimidating profile Chelsea will have to contend
with.
They will keep the pressure on the Blues while keeping their
back tight.
Chelsea’s manager, Avran Grant’s coaching mentality
would be stretched to the limit while this encounter lasts.
His Ivorien star, Didier Drogba has not been scoring lately.
But Michael Essien’s scoring prowess is on the rise
again. He scored in their 1-1 draw with Wigan at the Bridge
a fortnight ago.
He gave Chelsea the victory in their 1-0 defeat of Everton
at Goodison Park last weekend. Last Tuesday night, they earned
an away point at Liverpool, thanks to John Arne Riise’s
late minute own goal. If they truly desire victory against
United this afternoon, they must score.
Their first stanza encounter on September 23 last year at
Old Trafford ended 2-0 in favour of United, with Tevez and
Louis Saha providing the goals. Before that, they had played
a 1-1 draw at the Bridge in the FA Community Shield. That
means that United is capable of running away with a surprise
victory. But would Chelsea let this happen? |
